


Once Upon a Christmas

by lightblue_Nymphadora



Series: Christmas Cheer [6]
Category: Law & Order: SVU, Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Crossover, F/F, Fluff, Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-27 10:06:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13245951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightblue_Nymphadora/pseuds/lightblue_Nymphadora
Summary: Regina's first Christmas with Olivia and Noah. Some new traditions, and a wonderful old one.





	Once Upon a Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Written for SinginPrincess on Tumblr. Xposted there.

Regina ticked off another day on her calendar. She knew that, upstairs, Noah Benson was doing the same. Unlike hers, however, she was pretty sure that his was some sort of countdown. A way of keeping track of the days until he and his mom could go back to their old life. It had been a year since Henry had left with Emma, and Regina had just been getting over the sting of loss when Charming had shown up at her door. The magic border had been disturbed - and when they went to investigate, they’d found Olivia Benson and her son Noah. Charming hadn’t known their history, but he’d been wise enough to give Regina space when he knew there was no danger to protect the town from. And, after some explanations over cinnamon rolls at Granny’s, Olivia and her son had moved to Storybrooke. They had been living in a house just down the road until an unfortunate incident with a dragon about two months back…. Now, they shared the Mayor’s mansion with Regina. Regina liked it that way, but she knew Noah was having trouble adjusting.

“Hey.”

Regina turned at Olivia’s voice. “Morning,” she said. “There’s coffee by the stove. What are the plans for today, Sheriff?” 

“I’m going to do a few rounds in town...get some paperwork done at the station. Then a few last things to shop for for Christmas. I can take Noah with me, if you want,” Olivia offered. 

“Whatever you think would make him happier,” Regina said. “I know he’s not...entirely fond of me.”

“He just needs time to adjust. New York was all he knew.”

“Ever going to tell me why you left?” Regina asked. She knew there had been some kind of trouble, but Olivia had been quiet about the whole thing so far. 

“At some point,” Olivia said. She was smiling, though, so Regina was sure she wasn’t upset. “I’ll leave Noah here. Give you two some time to bond.”  
Regina nodded, and watched Olivia head out for the day. With a sigh, she set her coffee mug down and walked upstairs. She could hear Noah playing with his toy airplanes just inside the room. “Noah?”

The boy glanced up when she entered. He averted his eyes quickly though, and scooted back almost imperceptibly. “Hi,” he said, in a small voice.   
“I...I was wondering…. I could use your help today.”

He glanced up at her again. “With what?”

“Storybrooke’s Christmas Fair is this weekend. I need to make a lot of cookies today. Your mom says you’re pretty good in the kitchen. I could use a hand.”

He stared at her, and Regina had the feeling she was being sized up. By a seven-year-old. Finally, he nodded slowly. “I’ll help. Um….”

“What is it, sweetie?”

“I saw you that day,” he whispered. “When the dragon came. You did magic. You made it go away.”

“I did. I’m sorry if it scared you.”

“It didn’t!” Noah rushed to say. “I’m not scared. I just...I didn’t know anyone could do it. Can you show me?” 

Regina smiled and held out her hand. “Let’s get started on those cookies, and we’ll see.”  
*

Olivia heard laughter when she walked into the house that evening. She hid the presents in the front hall closet before heading further into the house. She stopped just outside the kitchen to watch the scene unfolding. 

Noah and Regina were racing to decorate what looked like a thousand cookies. Noah was lagging behind, but his looked worlds better. That was because Regina was trying to decorate hers by magic. Olivia bit down on her hand to stifle her laughter as sprinkles went flying across the kitchen, much to Noah’s amusement. It was only when she spotted her son eat a huge spoonful of icing when Regina wasn’t looking, that she made herself known. 

“Looks like you’re having fun.”

Both Regina and Noah looked like they’d been caught with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar. Noah grinned at his mom. 

“Hmm Mmmmmrrr,” he attempted through a mouthful of icing.

“Hi baby,” Olivia chuckled. “Why don’t you go change clothes while I help Regina clean all of this up? We’ll go for a walk after dinner.”

As Noah skipped off to his room, Regina gave Olivia an apologetic smile. 

“I don’t think he had too much sugar?” she supplied. 

Olivia just shook her head. “We’ll find out in about an hour, won’t we? If he’s bouncing off the walls during out walk, he’s your problem to try and get him to bed.”

“Please...like I haven’t dealt with a hyperactive seven-year-old before,” Regina said. 

Olivia’s smile faltered at that. “Does...Do you hear from Henry often?” she asked gently. 

“...no…” Regina said, finally. “He’s a teenager. It’s to be expected. Plus, I hear Los Angeles is wonderful. Last I heard...he’d taken up surfing.”

“And,” Olivia said slowly, “when was the last you’d heard?”

“It’s been three months. He’s got the life he wants - with Emma.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Regina said. “It was...never right. I invited him for Christmas, but I don’t think he’ll come. That’s okay, though. I’m sure we’ll have a great time - the three of us. I just...I wish you could’ve met him.”

“Me too. Can I...change gears a bit?”

“Of course, but try a cookie. We got right to decorating, and didn’t do any quality testing.”

Olivia selected one of the Christmas trees and took a bite. “Amazing. So...I want you to teach Noah magic.”

Regina had been sweeping up the sprinkles when she registered Olivia’s words. “You...you do?”

“It’s why we had to leave New York,” Olivia said. “He’s special - and he doesn’t even know what’s happening. I could tell, though. There was an...an incident at his school. I knew there was no way they could trace it back to him, but I knew I had to get him somewhere he could grow up...knowing about all this.”

Regina smiled. “Of course I’ll teach him.”

Olivia let out a relieved breath. “Great. Thank you,” she said.

“Anything for you.”  
*

Noah woke up and turned to look at his airplane clock. It was two in the morning on Christmas, but he knew he heard something downstairs. Based on the fact that he heard it coming from the kitchen, he guessed it wasn’t Santa. He’d only been practicing his magic for a week, but he knew how to move little things. He silently summoned his slippers to him, and pulled a hoodie on as he crept out of bed. 

The house was quiet, other than the rustling in the kitchen. He peeked around the corner to spot a tall boy with dark hair. The older boy was currently making a sandwich, and even though he didn’t look up, he said,

“I know you’re there.”

Noah gasped, and stepped back from the doorway. 

“Come on,” the older boy called. “You can have half of my pb&j.”

Noah crept out from around the corner and shuffled into the kitchen. “You’re him. Henry.”

“And you’re Noah - Regina’s told me about you. She says you’re a natural at magic. So a good replacement for me,” he mumbled. 

Noah didn’t understand a lot of things adults and big kids said and did. And, frankly, he didn’t much care most of the time. But he did understand...the shape of   
things. He knew his mom and Regina had been friends before he was born, and that they grown up liked each other. He knew that this big kid, Henry, was pouting. He knew he wasn’t supposed to have heard that mumbled comment - and he also knew it wasn’t true. “She likes me, because she likes my mom,” he insisted. “And I think she likes teaching me magic. But...she misses you. I’m not you.”

Henry stared at him pensively for a long moment, and then held out half of his sandwich, as promised. “When I was little, I used to camp in the living room on Christmas Eve,” he said. “What do you say we build a fort and wait up for Santa?”

Noah nodded eagerly, and held up his hands.

Henry watched, smiling slightly, as the younger boy’s hands glowed fluorescent purple for a moment. Nothing happened at first, and Henry was about to offer to get whatever Noah was trying to summon, when the little boy tried again. 

This time, it worked. Sheets came zooming down the stairs, and Noah was socked in the face by five pillows from the linen cupboard. 

Henry sniggered, but helped his younger… adoptive kind of step-brother? to his feet. “Let’s go.”  
*

Regina knew Henry was home. She could feel it the minute she woke up. He’d never taken to magic, beyond a few simple spells, but she could always feel his magical signature when he was closeby. Olivia was pulling on a hoodie when Regina sat up in bed. 

“I think our sons stayed downstairs last night,” she said. 

“Ready to meet Henry?” Regina asked. To tell the truth, she was a bit apprehensive. She and Henry had a complicated relationship on the best of days, nowadays, and who knew what this Christmas would be like. 

“Ready when you are,” Olivia said, smiling and reaching out to her. 

Regina took her hand, and they made their way downstairs. When they reached the living room, they stopped just in the doorway to watch the scene. Henry and Noah were still asleep, snoring under a pile of blankets, just in front of the fire. Noah had an action figure in his arms, and Regina recognized it as one of the superheroes that had papered Henry’s walls when he’d lived here. 

“We’ll start breakfast,” she said, feelings of peace and happiness flooding her consciousness. “Let them sleep a while longer.”


End file.
